S4457A

The New York State Senate passed legislation amending the General Business Law to protect biometric information, with a vote of 42-18 on Calendar Number 1834 (S4457A), sponsored by Senator Liu. The bill establishes protections for individuals' biometric data, though it drew opposition from 18 senators who argued for exemptions related to critical infrastructure security. Sen. Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, voting against the measure, stated that while she recognized the need to protect biometric information, the legislation should have excluded collection and retention of such data for security purposes related to the state's critical infrastructure. She characterized biometric information as a critical tool used for national security and critical infrastructure protection in many instances across New York State. The bill takes effect 90 days after becoming law.